New Poster/Many Questions

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Whyme111
Regular User
Posts: 58
Joined: Mon Jun 18, 2018 12:32 pm

New Poster/Many Questions

Postby Whyme111 » Mon Jun 18, 2018 5:29 pm

Hello, I am happy to be posting this. Not that I am feeling that well however after reading so much on this horrible sickness, it is very clear that those that have personally dealt with it within their own bodies, are the ones that provide the most helpful information in dealing with this both physically and emotionally. I have read numerous posts on this site throughout the last couple of months that have provided me with information that has been quite useful. I am able to go into my doctor appointments with knowledge and understanding.
Onto my personal battle with this illness and a little background about myself. I am a 39-year-old woman who has been labeled healthy with the exception of some anxiety. I have however been prone to UTIs throughout my life. I do have numerous questions, so I do apologize for the length of my post. Any information is welcome and I thank you for taking time to answer anything you may be able to.
I started having symptoms related to nausea and an over all feeling of being sick by not having an appetite and extreme anxiety. I have had numerous doctors appointments and blood work as well as a CT scan with contrast and ultrasound all coming back normal. I was told my issues were due to anxiety and possible acid reflux after an endoscopy was completed. I did not go on any PPI due to the possible side effects. I have worked on managing my anxiety while taking vitamins on a daily basis. After asking my general physician for a blood test to evaluate vitamin levels and after he said I didn’t present as someone with a vitamin deficiency, he went ahead and ordered it. It came back severely vitamin D deficient. I am now taking 4000 IU’s daily to help with the vitamin D deficiency. I understand this is a slow process however it is not easy on a day-to-day basis. In the last year, after getting the thumbs up from my Gynecologist, I decided to try to have another child which in turn led to having some UTIs which then caused me to be on antibiotics. I was on two rounds of Keflex which I had never used in the past but was told by a different physician that it was a safer antibiotic if I was trying to conceive. In the middle of my second round of this antibiotic I started to get symptoms of cramping and passing some mucus and a little bit of blood. I knew this was not normal nor OK and sought medical attention immediately. The emergency room advised me to continue taking the antibiotic for she had never heard of that causing any symptoms of which I had at that point. After following up with my general physician the following day,  being told to stop the antibiotic immediately, and having a stool test completed it was confirmed that I had C diff. I did not present with a fever however I was nauseous,  felt sick to my stomach with a little bit of cramping but mostly just passing mucus. I was put on Metronidazole for 10 days and didn’t have any side effects from it. I felt better and completed the treatment. After three weeks, my symptoms returned and I submitted another stool test which came back positive again. My general physician then said that he should have treated with Vanco first and went ahead and put me on two weeks at 125mg 4x a day. I felt my symptoms were increasing with Vanco initially and had more diarrhea and more passing of stool on a daily basis however I completed that treatment and within a week I relapsed again. I was put on Vanco for 14 more days as well as Metronidazole for seven days. In the middle of that treatment I paid a visit to my GI and he currently has me on a Vanco taper at this point. I am currently On 125 mg twice a day at this point.
I have noticed a pattern that right before my menstrual cycle hits, my symptoms increase and those are the times I have relapsed in the past. I’m not sure if hormones have anything to do with it whatsoever or if it’s just coincidence but this has been my experience. I have noticed that as I have tapered down it feels like my symptoms have increased and it has been anxiety provoking for me and discouraging. I experienced fatigue yesterday along with nausea and gurgling stomach and loose stools. Today it is a little bit better however I’m still cautious and my stomach still feels woozy.  I am taking VSL #3 twice a day plus S. Boulardii. I also had been drinking some Kefir and was wondering if that could possibly upset my stomach having taken so many probiotics. It seemed to be ok in the past couple of weeks but recently it seems to upset my stomach more. I’m just not understanding the shift. I have put a call into my GI and asked that my vitamin levels be tested again to ensure that this illness hasn’t stripped me of even more. I am waiting to hear back from them. I have so many questions and information in this post and for that,  I do apologize however if you have any information that you feel could be of benefit to me or anybody else reading this, I would greatly appreciate a response. Again, thank you

Kuro
Contributor
Posts: 93
Joined: Thu Mar 29, 2018 5:12 pm

Re: New Poster/Many Questions

Postby Kuro » Mon Jun 18, 2018 6:33 pm

Hi,

Welcome, and sorry that you aren't feeling well! Try to stay calm (as hard as that is), though. Anxiety won't do you any favors through this process, believe me.

I'm a guy, but I know I've read a lot of posts where the ladies of the board have said their CDIFF or post-CDIFF issues worsened around the time of their cycle. Pretty sure you'd not be alone there. Your best bet at this point is probably to call your GI and talk to him about the situation. Possibly, he may want to extend your taper or raise the dosage.

Your GP was at least right in saying he should've treated with Vanco first! Flagyl works for some people, and is often the first choice because it's cheap, but many relapse on it. It's no longer even suggested as a treatment under official guidelines.

Too many probiotics absolutely can cause upset stomach. What counts as "too many" varies from person to person, though. Some can take many probiotics, while others are so sensitive that they have to open the capsules and take only a portion. So, it's at least possible that you may need to cut back some. As well, kefir doesn't agree with some people.

You will not go back to feeling 100% after the antibiotics, as I'm sure you know. The healing begins once you're off of them, and the process is easier for some than others. Fatigue, nausea, and gurgling stomach are all common in early recovery. Stools can be all over the place. Still, call your GI and discuss what's up. That's the best thing I think you could do.

beth22
Long Time Contributor
Posts: 10852
Joined: Tue Apr 07, 2009 2:23 pm

Re: New Poster/Many Questions

Postby beth22 » Mon Jun 18, 2018 6:38 pm

It looks like my post to you did not go through, so here goes again.

Welcome to the site and please read the first forum for more information for new posters.

My own experience has been that when I would taper down with vanco, I would get more GI symptoms for a few days while my body adjusted to the new dose, until I went to one pill a day and then I did relapse. I also had more symptoms when I first started with vanco. Probiotics also made my symptoms worse and I found I could only take small amounts. I had to try several before I found one that agreed. Kefir did not agree either. I also became lactose intolerant and could no longer eat yogurt. You might try cutting back on the probiotics to see if it makes a difference. I would also speak to your doctor and see what he/she suggests. Hopefully, the taper will work for you.

Whyme111
Regular User
Posts: 58
Joined: Mon Jun 18, 2018 12:32 pm

Re: New Poster/Many Questions

Postby Whyme111 » Wed Jun 20, 2018 2:20 pm

Hi,
Thank you for the responses. My hope is I can wake up one morning and say, "I feel great!" I definitely don't take my health, or even feeling well for granted anymore. These past several months have been so exhausting and quite confusing at times. It's tough trying to explain what it feels like or the emotions that surface to individuals that have never experienced it. The fatigue continues and some aches here and there as well as some nausea throughout the day but I'm continuing with the vanco taper. I am nervous about going to 1 pill a day though and that starts this Friday. :/ I've also found that eating salad isn't as kind to me anymore, unfortunately. What a battle!

Bobbie
Administrator
Posts: 12688
Joined: Sat Aug 06, 2005 8:00 pm

Re: New Poster/Many Questions

Postby Bobbie » Mon Jun 25, 2018 2:24 am

Welcome to the site.

Please read the first forum re, the history of the site and the rules of posting. Make it easier for us to help you - concise posts with punctuation and grammar.

Many have a problem with salads at first. See CDI - Nutrition for ideas eas on what to eat.

You will get better. Hang in there.


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